Office of Compensation Analysis and Support 

Program Evaluation Report

Document Number: OCAS-PER-029 

Effective Date: 12/18/2007 

Revision No. 0 

Hanford TBD Revisions Page 1 of 4 

Author: Signature on file Date: 12/18/2007 _ Dave Allen, HP Team Leader 

Approval: Signature on file Date: 12/18/2007_ J.W. Neton, Associate Director for Science 

Supersedes: None 

RECORD OF ISSUE/REVISIONS 

ISSUE 

AUTHORIZATION 

DATE 

12/18/2007

EFFECTIVE 

DATE 

12/18/2007 

REV. NO. 

0 

DESCRIPTION 

New document to determine which 

previously completed claims require 

evaluation for the effect of revising the 

Hanford TBD. 

1.0 Description

The documents listed in Table 1 have been utilized to perform dose reconstructions for 

claims from the Hanford site and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL)1

. 

As indicated, each of these documents has been through at least one revision. Although 

many of the revisions only added annotation and attribution or corrected errors that did 

not affect the dose reconstruction methods, there were a number of substantial changes 

made that could affect the outcome of a dose reconstruction. The technical changes 

made in the revisions of these documents were reviewed to determine if any previously 

completed dose reconstruction would result in an increased dose using the current 

methods. The review was limited to identifying any increase, rather than an overall 

increase. Because changes that would cause dose to decrease were not reviewed, it is 

possible a new dose reconstruction would result in an overall decrease in dose even if it is 

determined that a new dose reconstruction is warranted. 

Although dose estimates at Hanford could be affected by revisions to ORAUT-OTIB0049 and ORAUT-OTIB-0052, issues pertaining to these documents were previously 

addressed in OCAS-PER-012 and OCAS-PER-014, respectively. 

 

1 Although separate Technical Basis Documents (TBD) exist for Hanford and PNNL, the PNNL TBD 

contains no dose reconstruction methodology. It simply indicates the Hanford TBD should be used. This 

evaluation is therefore based on Hanford documents with the understanding that it also applies to PNNL 

claims. 
Office of Compensation Analysis and Support

Document Number: OCAS-PER-029 Program Evaluation Plan 

Effective Date: 12/18/2007 Revision No. 0 Page 2 of 4 

Table 1 

Document Current Revision Date of revision 

ORAUT-TKBS-0006-1 Rev. 3 5/23/2007 

ORAUT-TKBS-0006-2 Rev. 1 5/17/2007 

ORAUT-TKBS-0006-3 Rev. 1 4/11/2005 

ORAUT-TKBS-0006-4 Rev. 2 6/5/2007 

ORAUT-TKBS-0006-5 Rev. 2 6/22/2007 

ORAUT-TKBS-0006-6 Rev. 3 6/5/2007 

ORAUT-OTIB-0030 Rev.0 PC-1 11/7/2006 

ORAUT-OTIB-0039 Rev. 1 10/1/2007 

ORAUT-OTIB-0054 Rev. 0 PC-1 11/19/2007 

2.0 Issue Evaluation

Internal Dose 

Section 5 of the TBD (ORAUT-TKBS-0006-5, Internal Dose) contains the most 

significant changes. The dose estimate for unmonitored workers changed significantly in 

revision 1 and again in revision 2. The description of an unmonitored worker has not 

changed but the isotopic mix as well as the assumed intake of those isotopes has changed. 

The effect of these changes on dose estimates varies on a case by case basis and can not 

be determined without a new dose estimate. Therefore, dose estimates completed prior to 

the issuance of revision 3 on 6/22/2007 that contained an unmonitored internal dose 

estimate from the TBD will require a new dose estimate. 

The method of estimating fission and activation product intakes was also modified in 

revision 2 of the internal section of the TBD. This modification requires the use of 

ORAUT-OTIB-0054 to determine these intakes from urinalysis. This method greatly 

changes the mix of isotopes and it is not possible to determine the affect on individual 

cases without a new dose estimate. 

Revision 2 of this TBD also included thorium intakes for specific people listed in Table 

5-25 of the TBD. The TBD also indicates if building information is not available, but 

there is evidence that a person worked with uranium in the 300 Area, 1950-1970, it is 

favorable to claimants to assume exposure to thorium. 

Revision 2 also added intakes of impurities present in U-233 intakes. These intakes are 

to be assigned to people with U-233 urinalysis. This affects a small number of people at 

the PUREX facility between 1965 and 1970. 

ORAUT-OTIB-0039 describes co-worker data for internal dose. Co-worker data is used 

to assign dose to unmonitored workers. Since revision 2 of the TBD will require a new 
Office of Compensation Analysis and Support

Document Number: OCAS-PER-029 Program Evaluation Plan 

Effective Date: 12/18/2007 Revision No. 0 Page 3 of 4 

dose estimate for claims with unmonitored dose, no evaluation of this OTIB is necessary 

for revisions issued prior to 6/22/2007. One revision was issued on 10/1/2007. Prior to 

that revision, the OTIB provided plutonium urinalysis data and the dose reconstructors 

were to determine an intake for type S plutonium using that data. Revision 1 of this 

document simply predetermined this intake using the same data. The predetermined 

intakes are a convenience rather than a change to methodology. Therefore, no additional 

claims need to be evaluated for changes to OTIB-0039. 

ORAUT-OTIB-0054 provides a method for determining fission and activation product 

intakes from urinalysis. The use of this document for Hanford claims was instituted in 

revision 2 of the internal section of the TBD. Since that time, one page change has been 

made to OTIB-0054. This page change simply clarified issues on which the OTIB was 

previously silent. As such, there was no change to methods in the page change. The 

previous version was in effect when revision 2 to the TBD was issued. The effect of 

instituting the use of this document was discussed earlier as part of revision 2 to the TBD. 

Revision 1 of the internal section of the TBD was issued on 11/24/2004. This revision 

changed methods for estimating some doses that could affect claims completed prior to 

11/24/2004. There were changes to intakes for unmonitored workers but this was also 

changed again in revision 2 so no additional claims are affected. There was a change to 

assignment of fission and activation product intakes however, these too were changed 

again in revision 2 so no additional claims are affected. Lastly, there was an increase in 

the detection limit for plutonium urinalysis prior to 1949. This could affect the 

plutonium intake estimate if it were determined from urine samples taken prior to 1949. 

Environmental Dose 

ORAUT-TBKS-0006-4 is the environmental dose section of the Hanford TBD. The 

original version of this document listed annual intakes of various isotopes at a number of 

locations throughout the site. Revision 1 to this document dated 12/20/2006 eliminated 

most of these tables by choosing only the highest location on site for each isotope for 

each year. Since dose reconstructions performed now would use the highest value it is 

possible that estimates prior to 12/20/2006 used a lower value. However, most dose 

reconstructions were performed using the highest value in lieu of determining the 

appropriate location for the individual case. The individual dose estimates will therefore 

need to be reviewed to determine if a higher intake value would now be used. 

External Dose 

Several changes have been made to ORAUT-TKBS-0006-6 (external dose) and ORAUTTIB-0030 (External co-worker dose). However, most of these changes represent a 

phased implementation. This is an approach of issuing a TBD with some sections 

marked “reserved” in order to allow the completion of claims unaffected by that aspect of 

dose reconstruction. A revision is later issued with the new information. This is not a 

modification to dose reconstruction methodology but rather a new method that provides a 
Office of Compensation Analysis and Support

Document Number: OCAS-PER-029 Program Evaluation Plan 

Effective Date: 12/18/2007 Revision No. 0 Page 4 of 4 

means of completing claims that previously could not be completed. Therefore, there are 

no previously completed claims affected by this phased implementation. 

The change that does not represent phased implementation is the incorporation of 

ORAUT-OTIB-0052 (Construction Trades Workers) adjustments in ORAUT-OTIB0030. These changes are addressed in OCAS-PER-014 and do not need to be 

readdressed here. 

3.0 Plan for Resolution or Corrective Action

There were 1190 Hanford or PNNL claims completed prior to 6/22/2007 with a 

probability of Causation below 50%. The dose reconstruction methodology of each will 

be reviewed to determine if a new dose reconstruction is necessary to determine if the 

revisions increase the dose estimate. The criteria for making this determination are: 

1. Any of the claims assigned an unmonitored internal dose per the TBD require 

a new dose estimate. 

2. Any of the claims assigned a fission and activation product dose based on 

urinalysis (or unmonitored dose) require a new dose estimate. 

3. Any of the claims assigned a uranium intake from the buildings and time 

frames in Table 5-25 of ORAUT-TKBS-0006-5 rev. 2 require a new dose 

estimate. Also, if the building information is not available, but there is 

evidence that a person worked with uranium in the 300 Area between 1950 

and 1970 and was assigned a uranium intake from that work, a new dose 

estimate is required. 

4. Any claim with a U-233 intake assigned requires a new dose estimate. 

5. Any claim assigned a plutonium intake based on pre-1949 urine samples 

requires a new dose estimate. 

6. Any claim assigned an environmental intake less than that listed in ORAUTTKBS-0006-4 revision 1 requires a new dose estimate. 

NIOSH will review these dose reconstructions to determine if they meet any of the 

criteria listed above. NIOSH will provide DOL with the list of 1190 claims as well as a 

determination on each claim as to whether a new dose estimate is required. 

Documentation for each claim not requiring a new dose reconstruction will provide the 

basis for that determination.